Faced with increased competition from Texas, Georgia and other states, Florida legislators are eyeing new ways to keep companies launching from the Sunshine State. Florida Politics reports:

Zero G Zero Fee’ bills would create tax exemptions for anything launched into space from Florida.

What if a company could launch a rocket into space from Florida and pay no sales tax on the rocket, its payload, its fuel or even the concrete, steel and equipment needed to create the launch pad?

That would be the reality if lawmakers this Session approve legislation from Sen. Tom Wright and Rep. Tyler Sirois (SB 1466, HB 65)…

At the same time, Republican Rep. Rene Plasencia of Orlando has introduced HB 9233, which would provide a $10 million appropriation for Florida to build a new multiuser launch pad at Cape Canaveral. Space Florida, the state’s space business development agency, has talked about the need for a launch pad that could be leased on a per-launch basis by companies that don’t have their own launch facilities, as SpaceX, United Launch Alliance and others do.

CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. (Sidus Space PR) — Sidus Space, Inc. (NASDAQ:SIDU) (the Company), a Space-as-a-Service satellite company, today announced the closing of its previously announced initial public offering.

The Company had previously announced the pricing of its public offering of 3,000,000 shares of its Class A common stock on December 13, 2021 at $5.00 per share for a total of $15,000,000 of gross proceeds to Sidus Space, Inc.

The Company commenced trading on the Nasdaq Capital Market on December 14, 2021 under the symbol ‘SIDU’.

PARIS, WASHINGTON, MONTREAL, YOKOHAMA, SYDNEY, TOULOUSE, January 10, 2022 (Euroconsult PR) — Leading space consulting and market intelligence firm Euroconsult has released its annual “Space Economy report” report for 2021. In its latest edition, Euroconsult estimates that the global space economy totaled $370 billion in 2021. This number consists of:

• The space market ($337B in 2021) which includes commercial space revenues and government procurement for their space activities contracted to the private sector.

• Other spending from government organizations ($33B) to conduct their space activities (internal costs and R&D).

HARTFORD, Conn. (Joseph Saveri Law Firm PR) — The Joseph Saveri Law Firm, one of the country’s leading antitrust firms, filed a class action complaint Friday against Pratt & Whitney and other aerospace companies, alleging those companies entered and maintained no-poach hiring agreements for nearly a decade, if not longer. Pratt & Whitney is a subsidiary of Raytheon Technologies Corporation.

No-poach agreements are agreements between otherwise competing employers not to recruit or hire one another’s employees. No-poach agreements are usually kept secret, creating information imbalance, and preventing employees from negotiating higher salaries and more favorable employment terms. For these reasons and others, no-poach agreements are inherently illegal under United States antitrust laws. They are detrimental to labor markets as they suppress employee compensation and reduce job mobility for workers.

WASHINGTON (NASA PR) — NASA Administrator Bill Nelson announced that Dr. Katherine Calvin will serve the agency in dual roles as chief scientist and senior climate advisor effective Monday.

Calvin succeeds Jim Green, who retired from his role Jan. 1 as chief scientist after more than 40 years of service at NASA, and Gavin Schmidt, who has served as senior climate advisor in an acting capacity since the position was created in February 2021. NASA established the senior climate advisor position to ensure effective fulfillment of the Biden-Harris Administration’s climate science objectives for the agency. Schmidt will maintain his role as director of NASA’s Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York.

DENVER, Jan. 10, 2022 (Voyager Space PR) — Voyager Space, a global leader in space exploration, today announced the appointment of Monique Brown as Director of Business Development for national security programs. Brown, a former Director of Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin, will be responsible for identifying growth opportunities and expanding Voyager’s customer base in the national security space sector.

Voyager recently expanded its defense capabilities, acquiring technology company Valley Tech Systems which develops controllable solid hypersonic propulsion and open architecture ISR (intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance) for defense and commercial sectors. Valley Tech Systems announced in December a $94 million contract from Lockheed Martin for an advanced solid-propulsion subsystem for its Next Generation Interceptor (NGI) contract with the U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA).

HOUSTON (Lunar Resources PR) – Recent awards from NASA and the National Science Foundation have created a path forward for Houston-based Lunar Resources, Inc., to perform mining of oxygen and metals on the Moon as early as 2024.

PARIS (ESA PR) — We urgently need solutions to tackle climate change on Earth. Meanwhile, the space sector is working hard to make space exploration more sustainable. ESA is targeting both ambitions by enabling European academia and industry to take further steps towards space-based solar power (SBSP).

This week on The Space Show with Dr. David Livingston: Tuesday, January 10 — 7 PM PST (9 PM CST; 10 PM EST): We welcome back JOE CARROLL for updates re AG, tethers and more. Wednesday, January 11 — Hotel Mars pre-recorded. See the Upcoming Show Menu at www.thespaceshow.com for details. Friday, January 14 — 9:30-11 AM PST; 11:30 AM- 1 PM CST; 12:30-2 PM EST: We welcome back DR. […]

SAN JOSE, Calif. (Momentus PR) — Momentus Inc. (NASDAQ: MNTS) (“Momentus” or the “Company”), a U.S. commercial space company that plans to offer transportation and other in-space infrastructure services, today announced that President Fred Kennedy has resigned from the Company effective January 21.

“I’ve been consistently impressed with the professionalism and capabilities of the Momentus team, especially its engineering and operations personnel,” said Momentus President Dr. Fred Kennedy. “Their commitment to the Company’s vision has been nothing short of extraordinary. While I am departing the Company and leaving the Bay Area with my family, I will be following the team’s progress and look forward to seeing them get to orbit and do some outstanding work.”

• 264-satellite constellation will provide broadband and Earth observation capabilities
• Russia’s first mega constellation would be deployed in medium orbit
• Government plans to spend US $370 million through 2024

MOSCOW (Roscosmos PR) — After several stages of discussions and approvals in the government, the Federal Sphere project received a development plan supported by funding. In the coming years, emphasis will be placed on developing technologies and creating the first samples of spacecraft. The final decision on the number and composition of satellite constellations will be made based on the results shown.

Spaceport America’s former CFO Zach De Gregorio has filed a complaint alleging racketeering, securities fraud, and whistleblower persecution by New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham and other officials related to his termination from his job at the state-run facility. The Las Cruces Sun-News reports: In a 250-page complaint filed in the state’s first judicial district in Santa Fe, Zach De Gregorio alleges he was effectively terminated after he filed a whistleblower […]